19 Nov Unbelief

Read: Mark 6:1-13

Last Sunday we further considered the authority and power of King Jesus from Mark 5:21-43. This Sunday we will consider how to remain faithful amidst rejection in Mark 6:1-13. As you prepare your heart for our corporate gathering, let these words from Dr. Akin challenge and spur you on in the faith.

Heart Preparation

Only twice in the Bible is Jesus said to be amazed. In Luke 7:9 He saw the faith of a Roman centurion who believed He could heal from a distance with just a word. And in Mark 6:6 He was amazed by the unbelief of those of His own hometown. Compare versions. Jesus and His hometown are dumbfounded, each by the other. They could not get past Jesus’ humble origins and familiar feel. Jesus was astounded at their unbelief in light of what He said and did. This sadly foreshadows the unbelief of the nation of Israel as a whole, of many in our world, and even of many in our churches. It is a shock to our system that the sovereign God would come to us from such a humble town, a humble family, a humble trade, and a humble nation. It is a scandal to be sure. Once again we see, “God’s ways are not our ways!”

The preacher Phillips Brooks (1835–1893) said, “Familiarity breeds contempt, but only with contemptible things or among contemptible people” (Wiersbe, Be Diligent, 59). The contempt shown by the citizens of Nazareth said nothing about Jesus, but it said a lot about them. What about you and me? Do we show contempt toward the Jesus revealed in Scripture? Are we “scandalized” by the simplicity of His gospel? Are we offended by the unfairness of its message that says a child molester or even a serial rapist and murderer on death row can be made right with God by childlike faith in Jesus Christ? Or do we allow the biblical evidence to slay our biases and reshape our preconceived notions of who Jesus must be for us to accept Him and trust Him? Or again, have we become so familiar with Him, having been raised in church all our lives, that His words no longer convict, His miracles no longer astonish, and His death on the cross no longer strikes the chord of “Amazing Grace”?

Familiarity can blind us to the greatness and glory of a Savior if we are not careful. Spiritually inoculated at some point in life, we become immune to the real thing. I have seen it far too many times. We must not come to Jesus on our terms but on His. This prophet was without honor in His own hometown. We cannot make the same mistake in our own hearts. The consequences are eternal.

Excerpt from Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Mark, by Daniel L. Akin, pp. 121-22.

Song List for Sunday

1. Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery, by Matt Papa
2. Let Your Kingdom Come, by Sovereign Grace Music
3. Now Why this Fear, by Sovereign Grace Music
4. Grace and Peace, by Sovereign Grace Music